Page 24 of Shadow Wings

It was a quarter of the drop of yesterday, but I couldn’t manage a witty retort. Instead, I nodded agreeably. “I should be okay withthat.”

“You can release your energy now. We’ll need toshift.”

I’d been wanting to for more than twenty minutes now. With a heartfelt groan, I let the thread fly free. My energy shot straight to the other Drae, and I shivered in bliss as we reconnected. My gaze went to his face which lit with a fierce joy as our energies brushed against eachother.

That . . . seemed unusual. Unease skirted down my spine at what that could mean. He better not tell me I was his other half or something stupid like that. “Umm, so all Drae can do energy thread stuff,right?”

His face smoothed. “No.”

I felt him pull his energy back, and I narrowed my eyes. “No,what?”

He schooled his features. “Not all Drae can do ‘energy threadstuff.’”

“But Drae other than us can, right?” I wasn’t sure I could handle that kind of special rightnow.

“Yes, Ryn. We’ve already established we’re not the only two Drae that can do energymojo.”

I grinned. “You said mojo. I knew I was rubbing off onyou.”

He rolled his eyes, and the air around himshimmered.

Drak, he’d known I was procrastinating. I could feel him gathering his power intohimself.

“Think of the ruby, Ryn,” Tyrrik said. “I know you really want the shiny gem. You just need to . . . poof. It’s as simple asthat.”

A moment later, a chuffing sound came from the Drae now standing over me. I tilted my head back and stared at his onyxscales.

With a booming leap, Tyrrik dove off the drop. With powerful draws of his wings, he rose into the air, just above the tree line, and began tocircle.

My stomach churned. What if I couldn’t do it? I pushed some tendrils of my silver hairback.

Stopprocrastinating.

I glared at the huge Drae and mentally ventured through the streams of energy between us until I was at his Drae form. I reached to feel his power; it was dark and mysterious and endless. I allowed my energy to dip into his, surprised at what I felt. It wasn’t cold—which is how I often saw Tyrrik—rather, his power was warm and comforting, like the dark nights in Verald with the hot air rolling in from the southerndeserts.

This was what I felt when he helped meshift.

I stayed here wrapped in his power for a time, trying to use the feel of his energy and the sight of his Drae form to shift, unsuccessfully. I thought of the countless times he’d helped me shift in the clearing. He’d always touched my shoulderblades.

“Why do you touch the ridge of my shoulder blade?” I asked, already pulling his energy toward me. He was letting me. I could feel his acquiescence, and there was an indulgent edge to it; like I had wobbly legs, and he was nudging me up a steephill.

The wings are extremely sensitive. It is the easiest place to get areaction.

Something clenched within me, and I remembered how it felt when he touched my wings yesterday. He’d been gentle, but every nerve ending had stood at attention with his hands on them. I drew his energy close, slowly, nervously, coaxing it to curve around my shoulder until it hovered over my shoulder blade. Then, deciding if this didn’t work I’d have a tantrum, I let the energyconnect.

Shimmering light burst around me. I catapulted into my larger form, scales erupting in the fastest shift I’d had yet. My neck extended high, and even in my Drae body, my breath came hard and fast from the huge jolt ofenergy.

Welldone.

I panted in a crouch.That wasintense.

I imagine so . . . you used myenergy.

For a fraction of a second, I felt his triumph, and then he closed me off from hisemotions.

Next time, use your ownpower.

Embarrassing.I could’ve done that with myown?